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| Sunday, 20 February 2005 |
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Trains run to Matara by S. Selvakumar Railway authorities will launch a trial run from Colombo to Matara today today for the first time after tsunami devastated track, bridges and embankments were repaired in a record seven weeks. "If we find everything satisfactory, services on the southern coastline would resume from Monday" General Manager Railways Priyal de Silva said. Elated by the quick repair work, the GMR said 135 kilometres of track and its embankments and four bridges including stations and other infrastructure facilities were put back in order due to the dedication of the workers, most of them on voluntary basis. The GMR and other officials will board the train at Ambalangoda and travel up to Matara on tomorrow's trial run. The ill-fated train No. 50 commenced its journey from Maradana at 6.50 am on December 26 last year and around 9.40 am was hit by the tsunami at Telwatte,in which around 1200 commuters were believed dead. Once the electronic signalling system comes into operation, services would be back to normal, the GMR explained and wanted the commuters' fullest co-operation and to bear with the CGR until such time the electronic system is introduced and delays eliminated. He said the old tablet system would be in place and this could cause delays but assured that this is a temporary arrangement but quite safe. From Monday, he said the CGR would operate all office trains and school trains along the southern track but certain other services would be curtailed. Several foreign NGOs commended the repair work the GMR said and added they admitted after such a huge disaster even in their developed countries it would have been impossible to be so expeditious.
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